On 13th March 2025, the CityU FOF – AMCM Exchange Forum co-organized by the Faculty of Finance of City University of Macau and the Monetary Authority of Macao was successfully held at Ho Yin Conference Centre. We are honored to invite two speakers from the Monetary Authority of Macao, Mr. Feliks Cheang, Assistant Technician of the Financial Development Department and Mr. Marcus Chan, Assistant Technician of the Research and Statistics Department, to share their views on the topic of “Development Trend of Macao’s Financial Industry and Cultivation of Financial Talents”. Apart from the two speakers, Director Helena Leong from the Research and Statistics Department, Functional Manager Eloise Chan from the Financial Development Department, Dean Cheung Wai Kong Adrian and Associate Dean Khong Yueng Wah Eva of the Faculty of Finance.

Mr. Marcus Chan, Assistant Technician of the Research and Statistics Department of the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM), gave a detailed introduction of the current status and future development direction of Macao's financial industry in the seminar. He pointed out that by the end of 2024, the total assets of Macao's financial sector had reached approximately MOP2.7 trillion, representing a 19-fold increase from 1999. By the end of 2023, the financial sector would account for 10% of the GDP, making it the third largest industry in Macao, after gaming and betting intermediation and real estate business. In recent years, Macau's financial industry has been diversifying, covering a wide range of areas such as banking, insurance, bond market, investment fund management and finance and leasing. In addition, Mr. Chan also mentioned that the AMCM, as the financial regulator of Macao, shoulders the important responsibility of maintaining the stability of the financial system and promoting market development, ensuring the stable operation of the market through its functions of currency issuance, reserve management and financial supervision. As at the end of January 2025, foreign exchange reserves amounted to MOP 240.4 billion, providing solid support for the stability of the Macao dollar. The Macao SAR Government promotes the coordinated development of the four key industries, namely modern finance, health, high-tech, convention and exhibition business, culture and sports, through the “1+4” strategy of appropriately diversified economic development.

Mr. Feliks Cheang, Assistant Technician of the Financial Services Development Institute, discussed the future development direction of Macao's financial industry and the strategy of talent cultivation around the theme of “Development Trend and Career Exploration of Macao’s Financial Industry”. He emphasized that national policies and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have brought great opportunities to Macao's financial industry, and the SAR Government is actively promoting the development of modern finance, covering areas such as the bond market, wealth management and financing and leasing. Since the launch of the first trading platform in 2018, the bond market in Macao has gradually developed into an important bridge connecting the Mainland and the international market, and will promote the regularization of the issuance of national bonds and local bonds in Macao in the future. In addition, the AMCM is actively promoting the development of a cross-border bond market linked to Hong Kong, with a view to further facilitating capital flows and market development. To meet the challenges, the AMCM will accelerate the nurturing of the bond market, promote innovation in cross-border insurance products and services, continue to promote finance leasing, develop wealth management business, promote the construction of a Sino-Portuguese financial services platform, expand the application of financial technology, encourage the creation of cross-border investment and financing platforms, promote the development of green finance, and explore policies related to virtual assets in a timely manner. The AMCM will accelerate the development of complex financial talents through pre-employment education, on-the-job training and professional qualifications.

During the Q&A session, the guests and students actively interacted with each other and had an in-depth discussion on the development of emerging industries such as bond market, wealth management and cross-border finance. Dean Cheung Wai Kong Adrian of the Faculty of Finance, thanked the guests of the Monetary Authority of Macao for their wonderful sharing, and said that through this seminar, the students had a clearer understanding of the functions of the Monetary Authority of Macao, the current development of the modern financial industry and its future prospects, as well as a deeper understanding of the demand for high-caliber talents in the financial industry. This seminar is another achievement of the long-term cooperation between the School of Finance of City University of Macau and the Monetary Authority of Macao, and both parties will continue to work together to promote the cultivation of financial talents and help the diversified development of Macao's economy.